Recent observations reveal that U.S. national climate assessments, which are legally mandated to inform the public and officials about the impacts of climate change, have seemingly vanished from federal websites designed to present them.
This situation complicates the ability of state and local governments, as well as the general public, to access vital information regarding the local consequences of a warming planet.
Scientists have voiced serious concerns over the implications of this disappearance, emphasizing that the peer-reviewed assessments are crucial in saving lives and reducing costs associated with climate-related disasters.
On Monday and Tuesday, both the national climate assessments’ website and the U.S. Global Change Research Program site were found to be non-functional, lacking links or guidance for finding alternative resources.
The White House has indicated that these assessments will be transferred to NASA, intending to comply with legal requirements, yet no additional information has been provided regarding their availability or accessibility.
Efforts to locate the assessments on NASA’s official platform proved fruitless, and inquiries directed to NASA went unanswered.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which played a central role in coordinating the climate assessments, also has not responded to multiple requests for clarification.
Kathy Jacobs, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona who oversaw the 2014 assessment, expressed deep concern, stating that it is critical for decision-makers nationwide to have access to the science contained in these assessments.
Jacobs remarked, “It’s a sad day for the United States if it is true that the National Climate Assessment is no longer available. This is evidence of serious tampering with the facts and with people’s access to information, and it actually may increase the risk of people being harmed by climate-related impacts.”
John Holdren, a Harvard climate scientist and former science advisor to President Obama, recalled how local officials reported the 841-page 2014 edition was invaluable for making significant decisions, such as whether to elevate roads, construct seawalls, or relocate essential hospital equipment.
“This is a government resource paid for by the taxpayer to provide the information that really is the primary source of information for any city, state, or federal agency that’s trying to prepare for the impacts of a changing climate,” stated Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech who contributed as a volunteer author for several editions of the report.
While earlier versions of the assessments are preserved in NOAA’s library, the agency’s digital sources include only expired links to the assessment site.
The latest assessment, published in 2023, introduced an interactive atlas allowing users to explore data down to the county level, illustrating how climate change affects security, health, and economic stability across the nation, with minority and Native American communities often facing greater risks.
The Global Change Research Act of 1990 mandates a national climate assessment every four years while directing the president to establish the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration informed the volunteer authors of the next assessment that their services were no longer needed and terminated the contract with the private company responsible for assisting with the production of the reports and the website.
Additionally, NOAA’s primary website for climate information was recently redirected to another NOAA site, while social media channels and blogs concerning climate impacts aimed at the public have been scaled back or eliminated altogether.
Holdren described these developments as part of a “horrifying big picture,” adding, “It’s just an appalling whole demolition of science infrastructure.”
Experts contend that these national assessments are of greater utility than the intermittent international climate reports released by the United Nations, as the national assessments provide localized and detailed information.
These assessments undergo rigorous peer review by other scientists, as well as accuracy checks from the National Academy of Sciences, federal agencies, and public feedback.
Jacobs criticized the suppression of these reports as an act of censorship against science, underlining that it poses significant risks for the nation.
Hayhoe emphasized the urgency of retaining visibility into the ongoing changes. “It’s like steering a car on a curving road by looking only through the rearview mirror; now, more than ever, we need to do everything necessary to navigate that curve safely. It’s as if our windshield is being painted over.”
This ongoing situation reflects a troubling shift away from open scientific discourse and challenges efforts to effectively prepare for and respond to climate change.
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